Katherine Forster - Transformed by Truth: Why and How to Study the Bible for Yourself as a Teen

When I was eight, the Bible was boring.

We read it in church. We read it as a family during evening devotions. My parents even made us read it on our own in the mornings. I was more than passingly familiar with every story. And my eight -y ear -o ld self wasnt impressed.

Sure, I might pick up the book of Esther, the same way I would pick up a Boxcar Children novel from the library. And I read and reread the more interesting bits of Revelation (like the part about fire -b reathing grasshoppers coming out of a bottomless pit). But as to the rest of it? I didnt really care.

When I was thirteen, the Bible was still boring. Now I was reading it, studying it, and even memorizing huge portions for a competition. But it was still just a chore, just something I had to do to be a good Christian, make my parents happy, win prizes, and look good in front of my church friends.

I was missing something. I didnt realizeor didnt fully comprehendthat the Bible was more than just an ancient religious document. Its more than ink on a page, more than a helpful guide to life. Its the very words of the living God.

The Competition That Changed Me

In November 2013, I was on a stage in Sevierville, Tennessee. It was the final round of the National Bible Bee Competition. Id been competing at the local and national level for several years, but I never thought Id make it that far. I never expected to hear Dr. Michael Farris introduce me as a finalist, and I certainly never expected to win.

The other four finalists and I had memorized hundreds of verses and studied two books of the Bible to be on that stage. We had spent our summer and fall immersed in endless review. And finally, we had arrived. We sat to one side, waiting for our names to be called. In fifth place... In fourth place... In third place... Now just one other girl and I were left, grinning nervously at each other. In second place...

When my name wasnt called for second place, I knew. I had won first place in my division!

Winning was a huge surpriseI knew it was by Gods grace alone. But something much bigger had also happened that year. Up until then, I had studied and memorized the Bible, but I was bothered by how little I loved God. I could rattle off his words, but they were just words to me. My Christian life seemed shallow, apathetic, and lacking.

That year, something changed. I had accumulated so much knowledge about God, but now it became personal. The words werent just words anymore. God used his truth in my heart to give me a greater love for him. Before I ever stepped onto that stage, I had begun to discover that the real prize was so much bigger than a crystal trophyit was the joy of knowing and walking with God as I met him through his word.

The Challenge We Need

The Bible Bee taught me to dig deeply into Gods word for myself. I learned how to search out the meaning of a passage and connect it to other parts of Scripture. I encountered glorious truths about God and the gospel, and biblical principles started to inform my thinking. My relationship with God grew in ways I could never have dreamed.

Learning how to study Gods word for myself changed my life.

But I also realized something that saddened me: few teenagers are being challenged to study and memorize Gods word seriously . Often, the highest challenge were given is to read the Bible regularly. And even thats not always the caseits considered normal for us to leave our Bible on the shelf for weeks on end, never even picking it up.

This cant be the best there is for us! We desperately need Gods words because we need God. Our Creator and Savior has spoken to us. This is how we can know him: through what he himself has said.

Shouldnt we be pursuing the knowledge of our Maker with all that we are? We need more than a nice -l ooking book that sits on a shelf. We need more than a few minutes of devotional reading every morning. We need to take the time, energy, and commitment to dive into Gods word and search out the truth he has given us.

This Book Is for You

Maybe the Bible is boring to you too. Or maybe you love Gods word and want to dive deeper into it but dont know where to start. Maybe you arent familiar with the Bible, and you dont see what the fuss is about.

Wherever you are, this book is for you. Its meant to encourage you to go deeper in your knowledge of God through his wordto do something this world would say is too hard or too boring for teenagers. And its meant to equip youto give you the tools you need to study the Bible for yourself.

This book has two parts. The first five chapters talk about the why of Bible study: why its important for teens, how God has revealed himself to us through his word, the great story it tells, how it tells us about Gods will for our lives, and how it helps us to obey him.

Chapters 6 through 11 talk about the how of Bible study. Well talk about very practical things such as what inductive Bible study is, how to make it a habit, how to actually go about studying a book of the Bible, and what application really looks like.

My hope is that youll come away from this book with a renewed vision of why Bible study is important and with the tools to pursue it on your own. Teens need serious Bible study just as much as adults. Thats why this book was written: to challenge you to a higher view of Gods word and a greater commitment to your walk with Christ.

A Signpost, Not a Destination

Whenever my family goes on a road trip, I like to watch the signs along the interstate: 45 more miles to Orlando or 102 miles to Atlanta. The signs tell us which direction were going and how far away our destination is. But theyre not destinations themselves. We dont really care that much about the signwe care about the city or location to which its directing us.

This book is like one of those signs. Its not a destination in itself. You dont need my wisdom or experience. You need Gods word. This book is a signpost pointing you to that awesome truth.

My prayer is that as you read this bookand long after you finishyoull develop the skill and habit of studying Gods word. I pray that youll grow in your knowledge of him and that your relationship with your Savior will be strengthened. I pray that the truth you absorb will penetrate every fiber of your being and transform you into the image of Christ.

Someone occasionally asks me, So how did you get a book published? I usually tell them its a long story. Every step of the way is evidence of Gods providence.

Thanks go first to my parents, for making the reading, study, and teaching of the word ubiquitous in our home for as long as I can remember. To my dad, for the long theology conversations; to my mom, for teaching me to love words, editing every chapter of this book, and giving me chocolate.

Thanks to my brothers, Sam and Ben, for putting up with me and encouraging my nerdiness. ( See? I put you in my book. )

Thank you, Mr. Harre, for telling me to write this book.

Thanks to Jaquelle Crowe, for answering that first clueless email, giving me a place on the editorial team at TheRebelution.com, and most of all for your friendship.

To Brett Harris, for acting as a mentor and guiding me through the world of publishing. Thank you for your advice, your patience, and all the work you put into this project.

To Dave DeWit, for believing in this project, for your kind feedback on my rough drafts, and for being so patient with a new author.

To my amazing team of readers: Carrie -G race , Sarah, Benji, Isabelle, Nathaniel, and Preston. Your help was invaluable!

To Katya, for your friendship, for patiently listening to me ramble about writing since we were little, and for your constant support.

To Keystone Bible Church, for the teaching, the encouragement, and for being my church family. I love you all.